Friday 26 July 2013

I am three!

Okay, not me, but my blog is three today!


It started with this post here (in case you're interested).

I can't believe I'm still blogging - according to my first post, I didn't expect to stay the course. Although, to be honest, it's all down to you guys - the way you keep coming back and reading my writerly ramblings.

And, of course, I love reading your blogs. I couldn't imagine having a mid-writing session cuppa without clicking on a couple of new blog posts. I mean, what do normal people do when they've got a spare ten minutes?





So, my plans for the next three years, I hear you ask?

  • Publishing three more books - two written, one a mere glimmer in my eye at the moment
  • Submitting and winning some competitions... some big ones!
  • Writing some new short stories, and submitting to established literary magazines, like Granta
  • Getting a fluke review that causes everyone talk about me (okay, that one's slightly out of my control)
  • Getting some professional photos taken where I actually look half-way normal (yes, it'll probably take me all three years to summon the courage)
  • Earning enough per year to give up the day job (I only work part time, so this could be achievable)
I think that's enough to be going on with.

What are your plans for the next three years?


76 comments:

  1. Congrats on three years! Woohoo! I love the ambition shown in your goal list. Sometimes the road to publication starts to wear away the enthusiasm (at least for me), but I'm thrilled you're still inspired. I hope you achieve every single one of your goals. :-)

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    1. Thanks Lexa. I've had so many knock-backs over the years, I can't help but bounce back. And three years is quite a long time :-)

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  2. Happy Bloggy Birthday! I love your goals, and I'm sure you can achieve all you want to.

    Here's to the next three years! (and more!) x

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  3. Hi Annalisa - happy birthday Master Blog - congrats with all you've done - and have yet to achieve .. two novels nearly finished and one a glimmer - that's a good start for the next few years ...

    ... mine lots of projects in the offing - as they develop I'll let them out!

    Enjoy the rest of the summer weather .. cheers Hilary

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    1. It's good to have lots of things swimming around, isn't it? Good luck with your projects :-)

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  4. Congrats on your toddler blog and best of luck with your goals.

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    1. Thanks Sheena-Kay... hopefully the blog won't hit a tantrum stage :-)

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  5. If I can finish a book in the next three years (writing, not reading), I'll be happy.

    Congrats on your blog birthday! You have awesome goals.

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    1. To be honest, writing a book in three years might be a push for me as well - I'm usually a lot slower than that. But if you don't set goals, you can't try to reach them.

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  6. Happy Third Birthday (just don't say it in my Oirish accent:)

    Great, achievable goals and you go grab 'em :)

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    1. Of course I have to say it with an Oirish accent, and then I get to giggle a lot :-D I'm agrabbing!

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  7. Congrats on the blogoversary! Good luck with the next three years.

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  8. Happy Blogoversary! I can't wait to see you achieve your goals!

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  9. Congrats! I like your goals for the next three years. I hear you about the photo - not looking forward to that myself. Ugh.

    My goals for the next few years? I've got to plan out the next six months first. Okay, really, I don't even know what I'm doing this weekend.... :)

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    1. Lol, well I hope you enjoy the weekend, whatever you end up doing :-)

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  10. Happy Blog Birthday, Annalisa! I'm glad you stayed the course. :) Good luck with your goals! You can do it!

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    1. Thanks Rachel. Fingers crossed I can achieve my goals!

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  11. Happy blog birthday to you! Love the 3 year plan, hope they all work out for you.

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  12. Great optimism! Wishing you all the best in the next three years! :)

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    1. Thanks Jacqueline. You've got to stay optimistic to keep writing, haven't you?

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  13. Congrats on three years!! And those are great plans for the next three, good luck!

    I know what you mean about staying the course, my blog will be three in December and I am still surprised I even made it to one year. Now though I can't imagine being without it.

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    1. Thanks Julie. Blogging either becomes a way of life, or you ignore it. I'm glad we both chose the former :-)

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  14. Congratulations on three years! Hope you meet all of your goals.

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  15. Happy Three...to thee! A great milestone and I'm wishing you many more. I'd be happy to just finish a book in three years, much less getting it published :D

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    1. I'm cheating a little bit with the three books goal - one is written and I'm finishing one right now. If I can get a first draft written by January, I should be on target...

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  16. Congrats! So smart to set goals and write them down.

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    1. If I didn't write them down, I know I'd amble along and waste my time.

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  17. Happy Three!! Hope you hang out for many years to come... and keep writing. I love your style. :)

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  18. Congratulations! Three is a big deal! Your plans all sound reasonable and I know you can do it. My plans are to miraculously get better at blogging.

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    1. Thanks Murees. You blog brilliantly right now!

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  19. Congratulations on your three year blogaversary! :) Those are great plans. Let's see, I hope to revise and submit at least three novels to publishers over the next three years. Write one or two new ones, and do some short stories. I really need to get back on the boat with those! Have a wonderful weekend.

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    1. Wow, Christine, you're going to be even busier than me! Good luck with all of that :-)

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  20. Happy Blog Birthday! Three is excellent and it's like you just got your sea legs. Ready for more. I think your challenge list is attainable. Since I've been reading your blog, you've accomplished a lot. Definitely onward and upward. Good luck and have fun. Eat cake!

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    1. Thanks Joanne. Yes, I think I'm finally getting comfortable with these longer length pieces! Cake! That's what I forgot, must rectify that :-)

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  21. Happy third birthday! That's the average life of a blogger. Five years for me and I love the blogging world. You have achieved so much and so much more to come. Blow out those candles and back to work! To write full time is quite a goal not achieved by many. But you can do it if you believe in yourself. I could give up my part time work if I wanted to, but that's my travel money!

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    1. Three years is average? That's surprising. The longer I do it, the more I want to stay within this great community. I'd miss my blogger friends too much.

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  22. Greetings human Annalisa,

    Happy third blogging anniversary. This calls for some toast, um, a toast. Cheers to you.

    Your plans are ambitious and I do wish you well with it. A happy weekend to you, Annalisa. I'll get the balloons ready.

    Pawsitive wishes,

    Penny the Jack Russell dog and modest internet superstar! :)

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    1. I'll have jam on my toast, Penny! Thanks for visiting :-)

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  23. Three years? right now I can barely plan for the next three weeks! Congrats on the blogoversary.

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    1. Lol, I was surprised at how many goals I wrote down - my subconscious mind has obviously been planning for a lot longer than my conscious mind :-)

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  24. Congrats...and I love your plan for the next three years:)

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  25. Isn't it strange to look back? But happy birthday!! And great plans :D

    Sarah Allen
    (From Sarah, with Joy)

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    1. It's good to look back, to see how far you've come, but I can't believe my blog has developed so much in just three years!

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  26. Happy Blog-o-versary! At least you've passed the terrible two's...
    Here's to many more years of blogging and writing...!
    Writer In Transit

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  27. Happy blog birthday! Great goals.


    Allison (Geek Banter)

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  28. Congrats! I started blogging 3 years ago this month as well. You're ahead of me on goal-planning, kudos to you!

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    1. The only goal I really had when I started that list was writing more shorts - the others were obviously lurking though. Congratulations on your three years, too :-)

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  29. Congratulations on your blogoversary!!

    I love your goals, especially the one about writing short stories. I used to write short stories....and then I sort of stopped, and concentrated on novels. But I have a lot of ideas for short stories I'd like to tackle, and reading your post made me think about them.

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    1. Short stories are wonderful, and it sounds like you're ready to write a couple, good luck!

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  30. Oh they sound amazing , Annalisa, and very doable :). I too hope and dream to gain a living from writing only...I wish you good luck with your plans :).

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    1. Thanks Petronela. Fingers crossed we both manage to earn from our writing :-)

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  31. Happy blog birthday! You're right about the blogging when there's a few minutes to kill. Scrolling through new posts and seeing what's going on with my blogger friends is one of my favorite pastimes.

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    1. My list is growing so large, I struggle to keep up with everyone these days - it occurred to me that I should really write more than I drink tea and browse blogs :-) I have to set myself specific times now.

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  32. Happy blog birthday! And those are all great goals. I'd like to achieve those goals too, except for the one about the pictures. If I ever get a book published and have to have an author photo taken, I'm going to cover up half my face with a book.

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    1. Actually, having your face half-covered with a book would be quite a cool photo, especially in black and white. Today's top tip: black and white photos are very flattering if you're not happy having your photo taken - I've learnt this over the years!

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  33. Happy Blog Birthday!!!

    I'm totally glad you stuck around because I would be totally sad without you.

    I think your goals are totally do-able. You just need to add one...to do a book tour in America with Elizabeth ;)

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    1. One of Hubby's goals is to gig across America - and I'm definitely on that trip!!!! Meeting you one day would be too awesome, and I'm determined to make it happen one day :-)

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  34. Congrats, Annalisa! I need to do the whole professional photag thing, too. It's pretty far down on the to-do list though.

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    1. It's not a priority for me either, because I hate having my photo taken so much. I'd much prefer to hire a stand-in, but apparently I have to be there myself :-)

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  35. Congratulations. Happy blogiversary. I'd like some of my WIPs and completed manuscripts to take off.

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    1. Keep at it Medeia, keep pushing and it will happen. I'm a huge believer in having a positive attitude :-)

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  36. Congrats on your blogiversary! My plans for the next three years include getting and STAYING WELL. It's been a long three years of the opposite. I also plan to finish my WIP, seek publication, and send my 16 year old off to college...in two years, not right now, just to be clear...
    Tina @ Life is Good

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    1. I hope you stay well too Tina :-) It occurred to me while I was thinking of my own three year plan, that my kids would be moving up into college and new schools. Three years to me as an adult doesn't seem very long, but in a child's life there are huge changes.

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